Page 16 of Black Sheep
“It’s—” I start to speak, but Cannon cuts me off.
“He could’ve been watching the building. I’ll be in my office, doing a full security review. Perfect fucking timing before tonight.”
Cannon sweeps around me, jamming one hand in his pocket as he reaches for the interior door with the other. Without another word to any of us, he disappears inside the Upper Ten.
“What does he mean, perfect timing before tonight?”
Tanya’s blue gaze ices over. “Don’t ask questions above your pay grade.” She glances down to check her watch. “You’re off in two hours. Make sure every glass is clean before you go. I don’t need you anymore today.”
Tanya disappears through the door as if she’s chasing after Cannon, but not without nearly knocking her shoulder into mine.
Fabulous. She hates me even more now.As soon as she’s gone, I’m left with a feeling of foreboding I can’t shake.
“Sorry for putting you in that situation, Ms. Carson. Never again,” Grice says.
“Don’t worry about it. How could you have known?” I give him a small smile and head back inside, prepared to wash every glass and make sure they’re spotless before I head home for the night.
And I add Donny Linetti, clearly a mob player, to my list of people to research.
9
Drew
As soon as my fingers close around the straps of my bag, I know I’m not alone in the break room. Carefully, like the hair on my neck isn’t standing on end, I turn around to see Cannon, the man I am definitely not jealous over, standing in the doorway.
How does he move so quietly?I’m not sure I want an answer to that question, because it probably has to do with things that would add to the prison sentence he’s going to get.Why wouldn’t I want to add to his prison sentence?
“I need you to stay and pull a double. I wouldn’t ask it of you normally, especially not on your second day, but I need you tonight. Late-shift waitress isn’t coming in. Tanya’s staying too.”
I remember what he said earlier about the security review being “perfect fucking timing before tonight,” which Tanya immediately said was above my pay grade.
This could be the break I need in my investigation.
“Absolutely, sir. Whatever you need.” I lower my bag back into the locker as he catalogs every facet of my appearance.
“What did I tell you about thesirbullshit?”
“Sorry, s—. Sorry, Cannon. Old habits.”
His assessing stare makes me feel like I’m under CIA scrutiny for a lie detector test. Unsettled, yet determined to beat the damn machine.
“You’re a drink runner for Tanya,” he says, his jaw set in a hard line. “She’ll take the orders and give them to Stefano. You bring them out to the tables. It’ll be good for you to see how busy we can get in the evenings. This’ll be your shift eventually.”
“Sounds great,” I say, targeting the enthusiasm behind my words specifically to hit theexcited but somewhat nervous new employeelevel.
His gaze moves over my face and stops at my hairline.Shit. Is my wig slipping?
“Something’s not right.”
My stomach drops to the green-and-gold-striped carpet beneath my feet.No. This can’t be happening. Not before I learnanythinghelpful.Visions of my feet being cemented into five-gallon buckets before I’m tossed into the East River assail me as Cannon comes closer.
Stay cool. Act cool. Be cool.I repeat my mantra.No one can prove I’m lying if I never admit it.People underestimate the power of deception all the damn time.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” I say with a casual, yet politely confused tone, hoping to find out what he thinks is wrong.
“Your uniform.”
A rush of relief sweeps through me, but I still glance down at my tailored white shirt with bewilderment. “This is what Tanya told me to wear.”
